Begin the End

AN: My first protagonist based Escaflowne piece. I'm going to get flamed; I know it. But hey, more warmth for me! -

Van Fanel, King of Fanelia, sighed as he watched another of his many advisors leave. The audience had been the same, once again. There was, first, the speech about the need for a queen and the continuity of the royal bloodline and then the inevitable proposal. He had been turning down proposals for almost two years now; it had been four since Hitomi left for the Mystic moon.

At the age of nineteen, Van was a strong, good king to his people, wiser than most would have imagined him to be. So far, he had rebuilt most of his kingdom and had made vast improvements in many areas, but he wasn't settled enough for the Court. Someone always had had to bring up his martial status. It seemed to him that everyone was on the verge of screaming 'SHE'S NOT COMING BACK!'

"Lord Van?" Merle, greatly matured from the days of war, jerked him out of his musings. The fact that she had lost most of her jumpiness was evident as she walked gracefully into the room, footsteps silent and an apprehensive expression on her face. Van deduced that the expression had something to do with the official letter she held in her hand.

"Lord Van, I think you should take a look at this," she said tentatively. He tiredly retrieved the letter from her claws. Recently, everything he did was tired. Most times, he was too tired to even contact Hitomi and, he reflected with a hint of bitterness, she didn't try to contact him either. She'd been distracted for months before, far away. Or, at least, farther away than she had ever seemed before. However, mulling over this was not on his schedule for the day; answering mail was. And this was Asturian mail at that.

"From Allen?" he asked. Allen had been made head of the Knights of Caeli however, the last time he had received mail from Asturia and Merle had worn that expression; Dilandau had come back to life. Merle shook her head in the negative.

One eyebrow raised, Van carefully unfolded the letter and scanned the contents once, twice, thrice and again a fourth time. He looked up incredulously at a fidgeting Merle. She wanted to ask.

"It's from Millerna," he said quietly, saving her the trouble, "It's a proposal."

"Firstly, I feel I should make it clear that it was not my idea. I did not even agree to having the letter written, much less sent, but it would be beneficial to both of our kingdoms, Van, otherwise, it would never have been considered, much less mentioned," Queen Millerna said as she seated herself opposite Van at the other end of the long conference table. It was a private audience, as would be expected, two weeks after the arrival of the letter.

"But what about Dryden?" Van asked, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, his fingers entwined. "Doesn't the Asturian Court still believe that he is your rightful husband?"

"Our marriage was annulled three years ago, by order of my father," she replied. She looked at Van whose expression said that wasn't what he meant. "He was also made aware, when he left, that I would probably not be waiting for him to return. There would be no injustice done to him."

"But the Court does not object at all?" Van asked again, he smiled a bittersweet smile as he continued, "If my memory serves me correctly, there are members of the Asturian Court who think very little of Fanelia."

"Most of them are dead. Others have been silenced by the younger generation," Millerna replied. She bit her lip before proceeding with obvious caution. "Van, there is also the issue of Hitomi."

Van looked up swiftly then nodded slowly.

"I understand the circumstances that surround your relationship and I know that you are also aware of the…situation between myself and Allen." Van nodded and she continued, "There should be no pretence of emotion or attachment within our union. We both know that our hearts lie otherwhere. Besides, our marriage would have to be an open one seeing as how I would have to remain in Asturia and you here in Fanelia."

Van smiled, seeing her reasoning, "So what you're saying is that we get married, live in our respective countries and continue our true romances with discretion. We take the easy way out. We have the freedom to love whomever we choose with a spouse who understands and will never complain about infidelity. Brilliant."

"You do realise though," Millerna added, smiling, "we will have to explain to those of consequence and – " Van interrupted her with a startling question.

"What about heirs?"

"Heirs?" Millerna asked, slightly confounded. "Oh! Well, I do suppose that will be a question afterwards. Do you think they would notice…? Yes, well, I didn't think that would work either."

"So?"

"So."

"I guess we're going to have to…"

"Let's cross that hurdle when we come to it. Preferably with a large bottle of wine to assist us," Millerna concluded.

"Yes, that would be best," Van nodded and rose from his chair, coming around the table to meet Millerna. Extending his hand to her, he helped her out of her chair and onto the balcony. "It's a deal then. We marry next month."

"Next month would be perfect."

Five weeks later, on the 23rd moon of Purple (in honour of Lord Folken Fanel) his younger brother, King Van Fanel, wed Queen Millerna Aston of Asturia in the presence of representatives from both Kingdoms inclusive of Merle, Princess Eries, the Knight of Caeli Allen Schezar, his sister, Lady Celena Schezar and her fiancé, Lord Dilandau Albatou. The ceremonies, which consisted of both Fanelian and Asturian rights, lasted for a week ending on the night of the 23rd.

On the terrace of the Fanelian place, Millerna and Van stood, arms linked, smiling and waving at the gathered crowd of citizens and well-wishers. They had become friends over the past month of their supposed 'courtship'. After all, it was much like Millerna had said, of all the suitors she had ever encountered, he was one of the few she could stand. Van had replied with, "Likewise."

Now, as the people adored their newlywed monarchs, one Allen Schezar squeezed tightly the hand of his sister as he looked on. When, after a little whisper from a close at hand advisor, their heads began to draw near, Allen gripped Celena's hand so tightly she had to muffle a yell of pain thus causing Dilandau to react and angrily withdraw her hand from her brother's iron grip to cradle it gently within his own.

Van knew this would happen. They would have to kiss for their audience. As he drew nearer to Millerna's face, his eyes closed and he found himself thinking of Hitomi, whom he had not been able to contact. She didn't want to talk to him, he decided. So maybe his marriage was for the best. He forced himself to remember that he was going to kiss Millerna and not Hitomi, and when their lips met, he knew the difference instantly. Apparently, someone had arranged for fireworks in the background.

As she tiptoed upwards into his kiss, he ceased, for a moment, to hear the roar of the crowd, the whispers of the people behind them and even the fireworks that erupted into the shapes of the flora and fauna of their kingdoms. Time stopped for a brief moment. When they pulled apart, they smiled at each other, blushing slightly.

Somewhere in the crowd a tall, cloaked, bespectacled man with long dark hair turned his head away from the sight. And somewhere in Tokyo University, in the middle of her psychology lecture, Hitomi Kanzaki looked up and gasped as a sudden singleness gripped at her heart. She was alone. It was over; the end had begun.

AN: Ok, I know that was weird but, thinking politically, what could be more suitable than a marriage between Van and Millerna? Such a union would be beneficial to both kingdoms. I know most people don't like Millerna but what's a girl to do? Also…yes, I do like Hitomi. That's why she isn't dead. This is a sort of on-the-side/continuation piece to Secrets. It's a weird idea that hit me…yes; again at two in the morning and no, I'm not lying. Please review!